your first question will probably be, "Is homeschooling for me?"

Taking the first step into home educating your children can be very intimidating. No doubt, you will want to do as much research as you can before you take that step. There are many fine articles in the "Resources" section of this website that will help you to make an intelligent decision. 

Your first question will probably be something like, "Is homeschooling for me?" The exercise below will help you determine if home education is for you and, if so, help you create a vision for your homeschool adventure.

• Answer the following questions on paper.

• Discuss your individual answers as a couple.

• Read through MÂCHÉ's responses.

We suggest both you and your spouse complete a self evaluation separately and then discuss your answers together.

Questions to Consider in your self evaluation

• Why are you considering...

Government-funded programs for home educators are enticing. They provide free materials and educational experiences to homeschooling families. But what price do parents pay to participate in these programs?  You might want to check out the DVD in MÂCHÉ's store, Exposing a Trojan Horse, which uncovers the hidden costs of parents participating in government-funded programs for home educators.

Definition of Home Education

MÂCHÉ believes that true home education takes place when children are primarily taught and educated under the authority of their own parents in their own home. We believe parents, not government, should determine the curriculum and standards for their own children. Home education fulfills its highest calling when parents educate their own children according to Christ-centered, biblical principles.

virtual charter schools

Virtual Charter Schools have increased in popularity in recent years. This taxpayer-funded system attempts to achieve a sort of "compromise" between a public school education and a real homeschooling experience. The idea is that, using a Government-...

Life is very busy in our home. Rick and I are the parents of 14 children, ages 31-7 years old. We only have nine living at home now, as four are married and Josh was promoted to heaven a few years ago. All of our married children still live in town and now we have four (soon to be five) grandchildren. Life, as I said, is busy, but very rich . We are very blessed.

We’ve been home educating since 1980. We’ve just completed our twenty-sixth year. I’ve been frequently asked how is it possible to home school so many at the same time? Our school day is generally a three hour period in the morning, although sometimes the older children will have reading to finish up in the afternoon. Presently, our house has three rooms in close vicinity of each other, which we utilize during the morning schooling time. The dining room table is where those writing do their work. The living room is where those sit who are reading and the kitchen table has traditionally been the center for the preschoolers and toddlers who are working on their projects. By the way, I have special learning activities for preschoolers, which I save only for use during school time , so they look...

Taking the first step into home educating your children can be very intimidating. No doubt, you will want to do as much research as you can before you take that step. There are many fine articles in the "Resources" section of this website that will help you to make an intelligent decision. One that we know will also be very beneficial is "FAQs about Home Education". That article and the one you are reading now will give you the basics of what you need to know first.

Your first question will probably be something like, "Is homeschooling for me?" The exercise below will help you determine if home education is for you and, if so, help you create a vision for your homeschool adventure.

• Answer the following questions on paper.

• Discuss your individual answers as a couple.

• Read through MÂCHÉ's responses.

We suggest both you and your spouse complete a self evaluation separately and then discuss your answers together.

It is not uncommon for parents who are unfamiliar, or only vaguely familiar, with homeschooling to have many questions and even concerns regarding the possibility of homeschooling their children. Homeschooling requires a true commitment on the part of the parents, but can yield tremendous dividends in the complete education of your child(ren). As a parent you want to do what is best for you child. This, of course, means your decision must be well informed and properly motivated. We think we can help you answer some of these questions.

What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling, also known as home education, is a system of education whereby children are educated under the authority of their own parents, primarily within the context of the home. Homeschooling is a fundamentally different viewpoint, not simply regarding methods, but primarily regarding authority. Whereas the prevailing philosophy relegates the responsibility of curriculum and education to the goals and standards of the government, MÂCHÉ believes it is the parent’s responsibility and privilege to determine both the curriculum and the standards for their own children. MÂCHÉ...

Dear Friends,

Summer is in full swing, and although we know that homeschool moms never really have a "down" time, we hope that you are enjoying the lazy, hazy days of the season. Your teaching time may decrease during the summer, but most moms we talk to use the summer to think about and plan for the next school year. So, while you are reflecting on the big picture of what your homeschool will look like in September, we thought you would benefit from considering perhaps a new approach to your schooling.

This month we asked Elizabeth Smith, wife of HSLDA President Michael Smith, to share with you ideas and information on alternatives to traditional styles of teaching in the homeschool setting. These are ideas and concepts she developed and tested with her own children. So, let's listen to what she has to offer:

"My assignment is to write about my 'unschooling' approach to the high school years. I prefer to call our method an alternative to traditional style teaching rather than...

Dear Friends,

It has been 15 years since I completed homeschooling and my last child entered college. As I look back over those years, there were special blessings I received from the Lord that I want to share with you. The first thing I want to say is that I am really pulling for you. I know you face things you never counted on when you set out on this journey. There are joys and disappointments, and for some, tragedies. The one thing I can assure you is that the Lord is with you--every day, every step. My prayer is that you will realize His presence and trust in His guidance.

My first and persistent awareness in those early years was that I was inadequate to the task. I felt like I was entering a great unknown. The outcome was so important, but there were no guarantees that I was even on the right track. It occurred to me more than once that I might be damaging my children for life. There were no studies or research about the success of homeschooling. I had never heard of scope and sequence and just figured I needed to turn a...